Burton Levin called his family explaining he gave his wife an overdose of medication.

SHERMAN OAKS—Burton Levin, an 88-year-old man, allegedly killed his 85-year-old wife and then himself at their Sherman Oaks home. According to police officials, Levin contacted a family member around 4:00 a.m. Tuesday, April 23, and told them he had given his wife a lethal dose of medication.

Officials arrived at the home the couple shared and found Levin in the backyard, dead as a result of a self-inflicted gun-shot wound, and his wife’s body inside the home. No signs of trauma were apparent on her body.

According to reports, a possible motive for the murders is the couple's hopelessness because of their declining health conditions.